Hawaii remains the number one destination for honeymoons year after year because of its romantic sunsets, magnificent beaches, and luxurious hotels. Visitors to Hawaii can also conveniently hop from island to island to experience just about any climate and adventure under the sun, including kayaking, mountain climbing, surfing, scuba, and even hiking in a rainforest.
Honeymooners have endless options. Following months of wedding planning, couples often retreat to a luxurious resort that caters to their every need, while others trek to an adventurous escape from their day-to-day lives. Whether a beach vacation, an exciting adventure filled trip, or something in between, the honeymoon should reflect your joint personality and wishes.
Few destinations can offer so much for a honeymoon location, and the satisfaction ratings for Hawaii are among the highest in the entire travel industry. Hawaii is about romance and the island caters in a very special way to destination weddings and honeymooners.
Hawaii’s climate is world class and year-round. The scenery cannot be matched by any other tropical destination. The mountains, valleys, waterfalls, rainforests and rugged coastlines are unforgettable. And the Aloha Spirit – the attitude of friendly acceptance and the way of life that makes the Hawaiian Islands famous is the perfect ambiance in which to begin your life as a couple.
Hawaii is so familiar and yet so exotic -yet Hawaii is United States soil. That means US currency and no travel 
documents. The food, culture and language are all familiar and relaxing. But around every turn is some element of the unfamiliar, from the Aloha culture to the strong influence of Asian cultures and heritage. Sold? Here are a few tips that will assist you in better planning your Hawaiian honeymoon.
Planning a honeymoon in Hawaii can be an exciting, but overwhelming experience. Most couples will wait until after all the wedding plans are handled to start thinking about their honeymoon. However, to ensure that you get the best pricing and availability, we recommend that you start the planning process nine to twelve months before your departure date.
Honeymoons too often take a backseat to the arrangements and plans of the actual wedding, but you owe it to yourself to give honeymoon planning greater and more careful attention. After all, while the wedding is mainly for your family and friends, the once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon that follows is a private getaway for you and your new spouse to celebrate your marriage. Though you may spend a portion of your vacation relaxing and reflecting on this major life change, the honeymoon is most of all an opportunity to enjoy being a newlywed, spending quality time with your new spouse, and experiencing a romantic and exciting getaway.
Firstly, decide on a budget. It has been said that honeymooners typically spend nearly four times what an average vacationer spends, and for good reason. For a honeymoon, you want to have the best possible experience that you can comfortably afford. Considering the importance of the memories you will be building, this is not the time to make unwise cuts in your buy. This is the one occasion among all others when you want to be certain that you will enjoy as much quality as you can afford.
Hawaii is for any budget – from first class luxury accommodations to budget condominiums. Your travel consultant can assist you with planning a vacation to provide the best possible value. This is one of the other reasons that Hawaii is such a popular choice. With several islands to choose from, Hawaii offers some of the best beaches, resorts, and culture with a wide range of hotels and properties. Right now, Hawaii is a real bargain, with travel there currently less than the same trip would have cost in 2007. No other destination offers you as great a return on the money you will spend on your honeymoon than the Islands of Aloha! 
Couples who try to plan their honeymoon on their own online, wind up feeling frustrated and are likely to miss opportunities that a travel agent will know. A travel agent who specializes in honeymoons can help the two of you sort out which destinations would be right for the two of you, based on your likes and dislikes, and your priorities as a couple. Even if as a couple you have very different ideas of where and how you would like to spend your honeymoon, a honeymoon expert should be able to find a location that is perfect for both of you, and ensure that your flights, transfers, hotel and insurance are all packaged appropriately.
Sit down with your agent and discuss your idea of the perfect honeymoon. What do you like to do as individuals and what as a couple? Hawaii affords many different opportunities for activities and leisure time. You can Kayak, explore rainforests, or sit on the beach. Schedule in more free time than you might think you want. Remember, this is a honeymoon, not a vacation, and that really is a distinction that means something! Make a list of the things that mean the most to you, get in some practice making decisions as a couple. The more clearly you can communicate your ideal honeymoon to your agent, the better the overall planning process will be.
Be diligent about keeping copies of all correspondence, confirmation numbers, and invoices given to you by your travel consultant. Double- and triple-check all the plans to be sure that your departure and return dates are correct. Inform everyone along the way that you’re traveling on your honeymoon, so you don’t miss out on complimentary perks. Stay organized by creating a folder or notebook where you can keep all this information.
One last bit of advice: Have realistic expectations throughout the course of planning and taking your honeymoon trip. While it’s only natural for you to want your honeymoon to be perfect, bear in mind that travel is inherently an adventure. Approach your honeymoon with an open mind, and prepare to have plenty of laughs along the way.
There really are endless possibilities in Hawaii for honeymooners. Your travel agent can provide you with all the information you need to decide which island (or islands!) and what hotel properties are right for you. Start planning early to make sure you’re right where you want to be… and then Bon Voyage!
This article is one of TRO’s Voyager series and is available for Travel Agent use in your newsletters and websites by registering with TRO and following this license agreement.
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